This is undoubtedly a trade union issue: Many unions’ rulebooks contain an explicit commitment to challenging and eradicating discrimination. Union involvement can and does achieve better-than-statutory provision. And also because of the impact on women of uneven access to and take up of childcare by men. And finally because the statutory framework for childcare doesn’t address problems of affordability and eligibility.

However, we always need to remember that parenthood does not solely consist of a two parent heterosexual situation, and acknowledge that men need to be careful not to be seen as “muscling in” on an area of predominantly female influence in a world where male chauvinism is still widely prevalent.

Moreover, 52.2% employers offer in excess of the statutory requirement and there is a clear Union premium as 66% of negotiated Paternity Leave agreements were in excess of statutory levels in 2009. That rose to 76% in 2014

The Gender Equality Duty has a very low take up and 36% of fathers fake sickness to meet family commitments. 44% lied to employer to meet family commitments and despite that 10 fold increase in fathers regularly looking after their children in last 10 years, still only 10% full-time carers are men and 85% of couples have the father as higher wage earner. (http://www.workingfamilies.org.uk/publications/the-modern-families-index )

Although 52.2% employers offer in excess of the statutory requirements, this is skewed to public sector and larger employers. Less than 20% of employers received a request for Additional Paternity Leave and those who use it are more in the public than private sector (although the private sector is more likely to have an enhanced provision – Paternity pay and leave: XpertHR survey 2014 (www.xperthr.co.uk/survey-analysis/paternity-pay-and-leave-experthr-survey-2014)

So current provision falls a long way short of good benchmarks – like, for example, Denmark: there parents have the right to a total of 52 weeks leave with maternity subsistence allowance. The mother is entitled to four weeks’ maternity leave prior to giving birth and 14 weeks after; the father is entitled to two weeks’ leave after the birth; and remaining time can be divided according to individual wishes. Public sector employees receive full salary during maternity leave and private sector employees are entitled to a minimum level of maternity benefit, which is subject to negotiation with the employer. Parents who are not entitled to paid maternity leave from their workplace can receive maternity maintenance from their municipal office in their place of residence. (http://europa.eu/epic/countries/denmark/index_en.htm )

This isn’t about who changes the dirty nappies. No-one likes doing that. It is a question of what we are going to about this fundamentally unfair and dysfunctional situation. The TUC, RCM and CWU collaborated in organising a successful fringe event at Congress this year (http://www.cwu.org/news/archive/cwu-at-tuc-2015-day-3.html ). We work closely with academics and other campaigners. NUT do some excellent work on gender stereotyping (https://www.teachers.org.uk/node/12981 ). These things already feature on our bargaining agenda – but we must make the links across unions and sectors. The new WorkCareShare initiative (http://www.workcareshare.com/ ) is a significant step towards this.

The ability of fathers to engage in childcare is inseparable from the ability of mothers to exercise proper choices – and neither should determined ‎by luck or chance. But it is also a contribution and catalyst to further changes in society on greater gender equality across the caring spectrum, and the mainstreaming of good, shared, childcare arrangements as a critical factor for industrial and economic success.